HUBBLE
SPACE TELESCOPE - Continuing to Collect World Class Science
DAILY
REPORT #5093
PERIOD
COVERED: 5am May 10 - 5am May 11, 2010 (DOY 130/09:00z-131/09:00z)
FLIGHT
OPERATIONS SUMMARY:
Significant
Spacecraft Anomalies: (The following are preliminary reports
of
potential non-nominal performance that will be investigated.)
HSTARS:
(None)
COMPLETED
OPS REQUEST: (None)
COMPLETED
OPS NOTES: (None)
SCHEDULED
SUCCESSFUL
FGS
GSAcq
9
9
FGS
REAcq
7
7
OBAD
with Maneuver 8
8
SIGNIFICANT
EVENTS: (None)
OBSERVATIONS
SCHEDULED
ACS/WFC
11995
CCD
Daily Monitor (Part 2)
This
program comprises basic tests for measuring the read noise and dark
current
of the ACS WFC and for tracking the growth of hot pixels. The
recorded
frames are used to create bias and dark reference images for
science
data reduction and calibration. This program will be executed
four
days per week (Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun) for the duration of Cycle 17. To
facilitate
scheduling, this program is split into three proposals. This
proposal
covers 320 orbits (20 weeks) from 1 February 2010 to 20 June
2010.
ACS/WFC3
11882
CCD
Hot Pixel Annealing
This
program continues the monthly anneal that has taken place every
four
weeks for the last three cycles. We now obtain WFC biases and darks
before
and after the anneal in the same sequence as is done for the ACS
daily
monitor (now done 4 times per week). So the anneal observation
supplements
the monitor observation sets during the appropriate week.
Extended
Pixel Edge Response (EPER) and First Pixel Response (FPR) data
will
be obtained over a range of signal levels for the Wide Field
Channel
(WFC). This program emulates the ACS pre-flight ground
calibration
and post-launch SMOV testing (program 8948), so that results
from
each epoch can be directly compared. The High Resolution Channel
(HRC)
visits have been removed since it could not be repaired during
SM4.
This
program also assesses the read noise, bias structure, and amplifier
cross-talk
of ACS/WFC using the GAIN=1.4 A/D conversion setting. This
investigation
serves as a precursor to a more comprehensive study of WFC
performance
using GAIN=1.4.
COS/FUV
11895
FUV
Detector Dark Monitor
Monitor
the FUV detector dark rate by taking long science exposures
without
illuminating the detector. The detector dark rate and spatial
distribution
of counts will be compared to pre-launch and SMOV data in
order
to verify the nominal operation of the detector. Variations of
count
rate as a function of orbital position will be analyzed to find
dependence
of dark rate on proximity to the SAA. Dependence of dark rate
as
function of time will also be tracked.
COS/NUV
11537
COS-GTO:
NUV Spectra of Bright Kuiper Belt Objects
NUV
spectra of Kuiper Belt Objects (KBOs) other than Pluto have never
yet
been obtained. We seek to use COS's sensitivity to determine NUV KBO
reflectance
slopes and to compare/contrast different KBO spectra by
observing
two of the brightest, 2005 FY9 and 2003 EL61, across the full
NUV
band. These particular KBOs are known to have some distinctive
characteristics,
prominently showing solid methane (2005 FY9) and water
ice
(2003 EL61) absorption in near-IR spectra. 2003 EL61 is also unique
for
its elongated shape; its rapid, 3.9-hour rotation period; and the
presence
of two moons.
COS/NUV
11894
NUV
Detector Dark Monitor
The
purpose of this proposal is to measure the NUV detector dark rate by
taking
long science exposures with no light on the detector. The
detector
dark rate and spatial distribution of counts will be compared
to
pre-launch and SMOV data in order to verify the nominal operation of
the
detector. Variations of count rate as a function of orbital position
will
be analyzed to find dependence of dark rate on proximity to the
SAA.
Dependence of dark rate as function of time will also be tracked.
COS/NUV/FUV
11598
How
Galaxies Acquire their Gas: A Map of Multiphase Accretion and
Feedback
in Gaseous Galaxy Halos
We
propose to address two of the biggest open questions in galaxy
formation
- how galaxies acquire their gas and how they return it to the
IGM
- with a concentrated COS survey of diffuse multiphase gas in the
halos
of SDSS galaxies at z = 0.15 - 0.35. Our chief science goal is to
establish
a basic set of observational facts about the physical state,
metallicity,
and kinematics of halo gas, including the sky covering
fraction
of hot and cold material, the metallicity of infall and
outflow,
and correlations with galaxy stellar mass, type, and color -
all
as a function of impact parameter from 10 - 150 kpc. Theory suggests
that
the bimodality of galaxy colors, the shape of the luminosity
function,
and the mass-metallicity relation are all influenced at a
fundamental
level by accretion and feedback, yet these gas processes are
poorly
understood and cannot be predicted robustly from first
principles.
We lack even a basic observational assessment of the
multiphase
gaseous content of galaxy halos on 100 kpc scales, and we do
not
know how these processes vary with galaxy properties. This ignorance
is
presently one of the key impediments to understanding galaxy
formation
in general. We propose to use the high-resolution gratings
G130M
and G160M on the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph to obtain sensitive
column
density measurements of a comprehensive suite of multiphase ions
in
the spectra of 43 z < 1 QSOs lying behind 43 galaxies selected from
the
Sloan Digital Sky Survey. In aggregate, these sightlines will
constitute
a statistically sound map of the physical state and
metallicity
of gaseous halos, and subsets of the data with cuts on
galaxy
mass, color, and SFR will seek out predicted variations of gas
properties
with galaxy properties. Our interpretation of these data will
be
aided by state-of-the-art hydrodynamic simulations of accretion and
feedback,
in turn providing information to refine and test such models.
We
will also use Keck, MMT, and Magellan (as needed) to obtain optical
spectra
of the QSOs to measure cold gas with Mg II, and optical spectra
of
the galaxies to measure SFRs and to look for outflows. In addition to
our
other science goals, these observations will help place the Milky
Way's
population of multiphase, accreting High Velocity Clouds (HVCs)
into
a global context by identifying analogous structures around other
galaxies.
Our program is designed to make optimal use of the unique
capabilities
of COS to address our science goals and also generate a
rich
dataset of other absorption-line systems
COS/NUV/FUV
11837
A
Co-ordinated Chandra, Suzaku, HST Campaign for NGC3227
We
propose a 200ksec LETGS/HRC observation of NGC3227, a bright, nearby
AGN,
coordinated with Suzaku monitoring and HST UV spectra. NGC3227
seems
to have a distant, dusty, 'lukewarm' Warm Absorber (WA), AND a
smaller,
high ionization, WA. For these WAs an LETGS grating spectrum
will
determine: ionization parameter, NH, 'b'-parameter, metal ratios
and
dust-specific features. The WA location will be known from Suzaku
monitoring;
together Chandra and Suzaku observations determine the mass
loss
rate. A joint HST/COS UV spectrum gives absolute metallicity and
velocity
and covering factor. With the WAs well characterized, NGC3227
joins
two other WAs to span M BH - L/L Edd space, allowing tests of
AGN-galaxy
feedback models.
FGS
11704
The
Ages of Globular Clusters and the Population II Distance Scale
Globular
clusters are the oldest objects in the universe whose age can
be
accurately determined. The dominant error in globular cluster age
determinations
is the uncertain Population II distance scale. We propose
to
use FGS 1R to obtain parallaxes with an accuracy of 0.2
milliarcsecond
for 9 main sequence stars with [Fe/H] < -1.5. This will
determine
the absolute magnitude of these stars with accuracies of 0.04
to
0.06mag. This data will be used to determine the distance to 24
metal-poor
globular clusters using main sequence fitting. These
distances
(with errors of 0.05 mag) will be used to determine the ages
of
globular clusters using the luminosity of the subgiant branch as an
age
indicator. This will yield absolute ages with an accuracy of 5%,
about
a factor of two improvement over current estimates. Coupled with
existing
parallaxes for more metal-rich stars, we will be able to
accurately
determine the age for globular clusters over a wide range of
metallicities
in order to study the early formation history of the Milky
Way
and provide an independent estimate of the age of the universe.
The
Hipparcos database contains only 1 star with [Fe/H] < -1.4 and an
absolute
magnitude error less than 0.18 mag which is suitable for use in
main
sequence fitting. Previous attempts at main sequence fitting to
metal-poor
globular clusters have had to rely on theoretical
calibrations
of the color of the main sequence. Our HST parallax program
will
remove this source of possible systematic error and yield distances
to
metal-poor globular clusters which are significantly more accurate
than
possible with the current parallax data. The HST parallax data will
have
errors which are 10 times smaller than the current parallax data.
Using
the HST parallaxes, we will obtain main sequence fitting distances
to
11 globular clusters which contain over 500 RR Lyrae stars. This will
allow
us to calibrate the absolute magnitude of RR Lyrae stars, a
commonly
used Population II distance indicator.
S/C
12046
COS
FUV DCE Memory Dump
Whenever
the FUV detector high voltage is on, count rate and current
draw
information is collected, monitored, and saved to DCE memory. Every
10
msec the detector samples the currents from the HV power supplies
(HVIA,
HVIB) and the AUX power supply (AUXI). The last 1000 samples are
saved
in memory, along with a histogram of the number of occurrences of
each
current value.
In
the case of a HV transient (known as a "crackle" on FUSE), where one
of
these currents exceeds a preset threshold for a persistence time, the
HV
will shut down, and the DCE memory will be dumped and examined as
part
of the recovery procedure. However, if the current exceeds the
threshold
for less than the persistence time (a "mini-crackle" in FUSE
parlance),
there is no way to know without dumping DCE memory. By
dumping
and examining the histograms regularly, we will be able to
monitor
any changes in the rate of "mini-crackles" and thus learn
something
about the state of the detector.
STIS/CC
11654
UV
Studies of a Core Collapse Supernova
Observations
of the UV spectrum of core collapse SNe hold unique
information
about nucleosynthesis, the mass loss history, shock physics
and
dust formation in the explosion on massive stars. This proposal aims
at
a detailed study of a bright core collapse SN, discovered by any of
the
many ongoing surveys, either a Type IIP, IIn or Ibc supernova. We
will
address the role of circumstellar interaction and mass loss through
CNO
lines in the UV, the nature of dust formation from UV line profiles
and
use the UV continuum as a diagnostic of non-thermal emission from
the
shock. The overall goal of our team is to achieve a better
understanding
of these objects by combining HST data with complementary
ground-based
observations. We have used HST to obtain UV spectra from
the
explosion to the nebular phase. Over the past decade, we have
conducted
studies of nearby SNe with HST, and we have published an
extensive
series of papers. When Nature provides a bright candidate, HST
should
be ready to respond.
STIS/CC
11845
CCD
Dark Monitor Part 2
Monitor
the darks for the STIS CCD.
STIS/CC
11847
CCD
Bias Monitor-Part 2
Monitor
the bias in the 1x1, 1x2, 2x1, and 2x2 bin settings at gain=1,
and
1x1 at gain = 4, to build up high-S/N superbiases and track the
evolution
of hot columns.
STIS/MA1
11861
MAMA
FUV Flats
This
program will obtain FUV-MAMA observations of the STIS internal
Krypton
lamp to construct an FUV flat applicable to all FUV modes.
WFC3/ACS/UVIS
11877
HST
Cycle 17 and Post-SM4 Optical Monitor
This
program is the Cycle 17 implementation of the HST Optical
Monitoring
Program.
The
36 orbits comprising this proposal will utilize ACS (Wide Field
Channel)
and WFC3 (UVIS Channel) to observe stellar cluster members in
parallel
with multiple exposures over an orbit. Phase retrieval
performed
on the PSF in each image will be used to measure primarily
focus,
with the ability to explore apparent coma, and astigmatism
changes
in WFC3.
The
goals of this program are to: 1) monitor the overall OTA focal
length
for the purposes of maintaining focus within science tolerances
2)
gain experience with the relative effectiveness of phase retrieval on
WFC3/UVIS
PSFs 3) determine focus offset between the imagers and
identify
any SI-specific focus behavior and dependencies
If
need is determined, future visits will be modified to interleave
WFC3/IR
channel and STIS/CCD focii measurements.
WFC3/IR
12051
Cross
Calibration of NICMOS and WFC3 in the Low-Count-Rate Regime
NICMOS
has played a key role in probing the deep near infrared regime
for
a decade. It has been the only instrument available to observe faint
objects
in the near infrared that are not observable from the ground.
However,
the calibration of NICMOS has turned out to be difficult in the
low-count-rate
regime. The NICMOS calibration team has extrapolated a
power-law
to describe the apparent non-linearity in the NICMOS detectors
from
measurements at ~50-5000 ADU/s to flux counts around 0.1-1 ADU/s.
Precise
measurements of faint objects (such as SNe Ia at high redshift)
require
us to reduce the uncertainties from this extrapolation. Here we
propose
to determine the absolute zeropoint for faint objects by
cross-calibrating
the WFC3 and NICMOS detectors in observations of early
type
galaxies at redshifts z>1.
WFC3/IR/S/C
11929
IR
Dark Current Monitor
Analyses
of ground test data showed that dark current signals are more
reliably
removed from science data using darks taken with the same
exposure
sequences as the science data, than with a single dark current
image
scaled by desired exposure time. Therefore, dark current images
must
be collected using all sample sequences that will be used in
science
observations. These observations will be used to monitor changes
in
the dark current of the WFC3-IR channel on a day-to-day basis, and to
build
calibration dark current ramps for each of the sample sequences to
be
used by Gos in Cycle 17. For each sample sequence/array size
combination,
a median ramp will be created and delivered to the
calibration
database system (CDBS).
WFC3/UVIS
11595
Turning
Out the Light: A WFC3 Program to Image z>2 Damped Lyman Alpha
Systems
We
propose to directly image the star-forming regions of z>2 damped Lya
systems
(DLAs) using the WFC3/UVIS camera on the Hubble Space Telescope.
In
contrast to all previous attempts to detect the galaxies giving rise
to
high redshift DLAs, we will use a novel technique that completely
removes
the glare of the background quasar. Specifically, we will target
quasar
sightlines with multiple DLAs and use the higher redshift DLA as
a
``blocking filter'' (via Lyman limit absorption) to eliminate all FUV
emission
from the quasar. This will allow us to carry out a deep search
for
FUV emission from the lower redshift DLA, shortward of the Lyman
limit
of the higher redshift absorber. The unique filter set and high
spatial
resolution afforded by WFC3/UVIS will then enable us to directly
image
the lower redshift DLA and thus estimate its size, star- formation
rate
and impact parameter from the QSO sightline. We propose to observe
a
sample of 20 sightlines, selected primarily from the SDSS database,
requiring
a total of 40 HST orbits. The observations will allow us to
determine
the first FUV luminosity function of high redshift DLA
galaxies
and to correlate the DLA galaxy properties with the ISM
characteristics
inferred from standard absorption-line analysis to
significantly
improve our understanding of the general DLA population.
WFC3/UVIS
11905
WFC3
UVIS CCD Daily Monitor
The
behavior of the WFC3 UVIS CCD will be monitored daily with a set of
full-frame,
four-amp bias and dark frames. A smaller set of 2Kx4K
subarray
biases are acquired at less frequent intervals throughout the
cycle
to support subarray science observations. The internals from this
proposal,
along with those from the anneal procedure (Proposal 11909),
will
be used to generate the necessary superbias and superdark reference
files
for the calibration pipeline (CDBS).
WFC3/UVIS
11908
Cycle
17: UVIS Bowtie Monitor
Ground
testing revealed an intermittent hysteresis type effect in the
UVIS
detector (both CCDs) at the level of ~1%, lasting hours to days.
Initially
found via an unexpected bowtie-shaped feature in flatfield
ratios,
subsequent lab tests on similar e2v devices have since shown
that
it is also present as simply an overall offset across the entire
CCD,
i.e., a QE offset without any discernable pattern. These lab tests
have
further revealed that overexposing the detector to count levels
several
times full well fills the traps and effectively neutralizes the
bowtie.
Each visit in this proposal acquires a set of three 3x3 binned
internal
flatfields: the first unsaturated image will be used to detect
any
bowtie, the second, highly exposed image will neutralize the bowtie
if
it is present, and the final image will allow for verification that
the
bowtie is gone.
WFC3/UVIS
11912
UVIS
Internal Flats
This
proposal will be used to assess the stability of the flat field
structure
for the UVIS detector throughout the 15 months of Cycle 17.
The
data will be used to generate on-orbit updates for the delta-flat
field
reference files used in the WFC3 calibration pipeline, if
significant
changes in the flat structure are seen.